Down Which Path
by Rivulet027
Summary: In another reality ‘The Ninja Encounter’ went radically different. When Rocky is captured by a warrior from this reality, it’s up to Dustin to keep their spirits up till they’re rescued. Will he succeed or will Rocky give in and become evil? Slash
1. Chapter 1

Warning/AN1: This fic deals with three chars we've come to know as good being turned evil, entering into a threesome relationship and basically wreaking havoc over their world. This piece will include mentions and description of char death. This isn't light an fluffy and I'm putting Rocky through a lot (he is given memories of what his evil self did) which is why he and Adam aren't ending up together at the end…I would have to write a recovery fic for that to be feasible. Obviously there is slash in this piece. If any of this is going to offend you please don't read this.

A/N2: This piece is told from three chars pov: Rocky and the AU realities version of Dustin and Skull, except in this AU Skull now goes by Gene. Thank you.

A/N3: Yeah, yeah I know…eep lots of Author's Notes, which I don't like to do. I also don't usually juggle this many fics, but well this one wouldn't let me finish it without the first chap being out there and it won't leave me along. This is written for the prau100 challenge on lj using prompt #10 Sixth Sense.

Pairings: Rocky/Adam UST, AU – Adam/Rocky/Aisha, Andros/Dustin

Down Which Path:

Rocky hugged one knee as he watched Jason and Adam sparring. He glanced over as Bulk and Skull surrounded him.

"Still saying you're being replaced," Bulk told him.

"Man, would you two just go away," Rocky told them. He and Jason had resolved their issues and a part of Rocky couldn't believe he'd let some stupid comments from Bulk and Skull blow his insecurities out of proportion.

Skull laughed, "What cause we're right?"

"No, because you're wrong and I want to be alone," he told them. Normally he liked being surrounded by people, but lately he needed space. He'd had a bad feeling growing in the pit of his stomach for awhile.

Maybe he'd let Bulk and Skull get to him because he'd just realized he was interested in Adam and then Adam had refused to spar with him because he was going to spar with Jason.

No, that wasn't it. It might have played into it, but Rocky suspected it had had more to do with his feeling of foreboding. Something big was headed their way. He jumped when his communicator beeped.

"Sorry guys, gotta go," he told Bulk and Skull in relief as he walked away.

* * *

Dustin struggled as the final member of The Triad dragged him along. He attempted to plant his feet, attempted to squirm away, but he couldn't even seem to succeed in slowing their pace.

"My teammates will come for me," he told Three with as much bravado as he could mange. He hoped they didn't come for him. He hoped they knew better.

Three stopped, turned, "You can't escape, you might as well cease your struggling and as for your friends, I'm counting on it."

"Dude!" Dustin stressed as he attempted to struggle free.

Three pulled him close, using the dark magic that Dustin found was more powerful than he'd imagined. He found himself barely able to struggle against it.

"Why don't you just demorph? It'll make things less painful when I get my way," Three lied as he caressed the side of Dustin's helmet.

Dustin forced himself to be still as he took in his enemy, an enemy who was also in armor similar to that of a power ranger suit. He had been told that the original rangers of Earth were the basis for the design, but that the extra black armor that covered the chest hadn't been part of it. This man before him, who from what he'd been told had no good left in him, was suited up in a deep dark green.

Three didn't respond to his denial to demorph and instead tugged him along again.

"Ah, Dude where are we going?" Dustin attempted to stall.

"I'm not stupid," Three told them as he pulled them into a warehouse, "Your friends will find us. Then to get you back they'll bring me what I want."

"Okay, whatever dude," Dustin told him as he looked around, trying to see if there might be a way to escape.

"Sit," Three ordered and Dustin found himself forced to the ground.

* * *

"Somehow," Rocky said as they watched the viewing globe, "I don't think that dark green ranger is a good guy."

"Doesn't look like it," Tommy agreed.

"Zordon, do you know who the yellow ranger is?" Tanya asked.

"No, I do not. They've come from a different reality, one where The Wind Morphers have been activated."

"The Wind Morphers?" Jason asked.

"Yes, in creating the original morphers Alpha and I had some help programming in several of the fighting techniques. The Ninja Academies that helped asked for morphers in return. They wouldn't have activated them unless the situation was dire."

"So in whatever reality these two are from, things have probably gone badly?" Kat attempted to clarify.

"They most likely have," Zordon agreed.

The alarms went off again.

"There are more rangers coming through the wormhole!" Alpha announced, "Oh, I hope they're good guys."

The image on the viewing globe changed to show a Green Zeo Ranger and a Red Ranger stepping through the wormhole. They took a moment to get their barring before they set off after the dark ranger and the Wind Ranger.

"Do you think that's me?" Adam asked.

"It could be, couldn't it?" Rocky asked.

"The possibility is there," Zordon answered.

"Who's the guy in red?" Tommy asked.

"That is the Red Astro Ranger, if the man wearing the suit is the same as here than that would be Andros. However you must remember they are from a different reality, things could be radically different."

"Well a ranger's still a ranger," Tommy decided, "we should go help them rescue their friend."

The feeling inside of Rocky had expanded. This was it, what was happening now had been what all his uneasy feelings were about. Still he couldn't hesitate, as the others agreed, he did as well. They morphed and set off.

* * *

Dustin shuddered. He could feel Three trying to break though his morph. He used his connection with the Earth to ground himself, to find a balance in the onslaught. He felt ragged and wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out against the magical assault. He'd hold out as long as he could, but even now he found himself wondering if this is how his teammates had felt before they had lost their morph, before they had succumb.

"Let him go!"

Dustin turned towards the voice and his hope faltered further. Andros stood there, with Gene. Both were morphed. They'd followed him, they'd come to save him. Where was his optimism? Maybe he'd get rescued.

Dustin jerked as Three's hand caressed his helmet, "The last Ninja Storm Ranger. I have to admit, he's held out longer against me than I'd anticipated. I'd hoped to return him to you beyond repair, but this is better. It must be far more enticing knowing you can have him back in one piece."

"I said let him go!" Andros repeated.

"You took my lovers from me," Three stated, "Find me this worlds versions of them and I'll trade you back yours."

Andros jerked, obviously taken aback by Three's demand.

"No! Just lea…" Dustin tried, but he was shoved to the ground before he could finish.

"We're not trading you anything. Let him go. Come peacefully," Andros continued, "or we'll take you by force."

Three laughed, "Two rangers? What do you think two of you are going to do?"

"Try eight," Tommy announced.

* * *

Rocky swayed, dizzy for a moment in the evil ranger's presence, but he managed to hold his ground. Adam squeezed his arm and asked if he was okay.

"Fine," he ground out as he spared a moment to wonder why he felt as though he had a connection to this villain.

"Eight now," the Red Astro Ranger announced to Three as they all moved into defensive postures.

"Eight…" Three repeated as he waved his hand and sent them flying back. He held out a hand and pulled Rocky towards him.

Rocky yelled as he found himself being drawn forward even as his teammates stumbled and fell. He felt his morph slip away.

"But only one that I'm interested in," Three finished as he cupped Rocky's face. Three let his morph fade.

"Adam?" Rocky asked. How could the bad guy be Adam? How could Adam be evil? And this, this young man in front of him, looked just like Adam had when they'd first met the rangers, he even had the same haircut.

This Adam moved in till they were nose to nose as he told him, "Look at you, you're so _good_, but don't worry we'll fix that."

Then Three turned his attention to Andros. With one hand he forced Dustin to his feet, "Bring me my yellow and you can have yours back."

* * *

Andros screamed and ran forward as the three of them, Three, an apparently good version of Two and Dustin faded away. He turned to Gene, "Find them!"

Gene flinched before he started to say confused, "That ranger he took, he was…was…"

"Two," Andros finished, "but as a warrior for the light."

"His name was Rocky," Gene informed him, having only met twice Rocky before he'd been made evil. He watched as the ranger that was dressed in the same team design and color as him ran forward to check the area where Three had teleported and dragged the other two with them.

"That was…That couldn't have been…" their green was trying to say.

"It was," Gene attempted to confirm, not sure what was confusing the other green. He suspected it was the sudden loss of his teammate.

"We need to go after them," the Red Zeo Ranger stated.

"Agreed," Andros nodded before turning to him.

Gene flinched, but nodded. He stepped forward, gave his leader a squeeze on the shoulder and then joined the other green ranger before he powered down.

"Skull!" he heard someone exclaim.

The hands he had begun to raise froze. He blinked up at the green and then turned to look at the rest of the team as they moved in.

"I haven't been called that in a very long time," he attempted to explain, "not since my best friend died. It's Gene now."

The green in front of him powered down. Gene flinched and instinctively took a step back. Three, no Adam, said, "Please say that wasn't me."

Gene had no time to ask Adam if he meant that he hadn't just seen an evil version of himself as he barely managed to catch Andros as his leader moved forward.

"No!" Gene protested, "he's good here."

Andros powered down to glare at him, "Are you sure?"

"Yes and questioning that only means wasting time, time that could be used to get Dustin back, and their friend."

Andros nodded staring at the ground, a frown marred his face, "Do it."

Gene raised his hands, used the magic within him to try and track where their enemy had gone and found himself flying back with a scream. He gasped in a raspy breath as he landed. Andros was suddenly there, asking questions that seemed to slide into one other.

"Guess he anticipated that," Gene managed before he felt the pain that haunted him creep forward and take hold. He barely managed to scream as he faded out of consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

***Warning*** There is description of a char being choked to death in this chapter, though I do cut off before he actually dies. Three tortures Rocky.

Chapter 2:

Dustin hit the ground. He braced himself and managed to stop sliding. The man who looked like Two, had to be this worlds version of him, landed nearby. As both of them stood bars rose from the floor, surrounded them.

Three stood outside glaring at them. The man who looked like Two was staring at Three in horror. Dustin shook him, in an attempt to change his focus, as he said, "Dude, you have to morph. He can't hurt you as badly if you're morphed."

The young man simply stood there as if he hadn't heard Dustin. Three moved closer. Dustin turned and growled, "Stay away from him."

"He's why I'm here, why would I do that?" Three responded obviously not looking for an answer.

"You're the reason I…you…Adam?" the young man tried.

A smirk spread Three's face as he moved in, "You could feel me searching for you, couldn't you?"

The young man wet his lips, "Yes."

A sinister smile spread Three's face as he reached through the bars to touch a cheek, "Soon you'll be evil. Soon we'll go home."

The young man shuddered, his eyes widening in horror, but he didn't move. Dustin batted Three's hand away and turned, "No! Stay away from him."

Three turned to glare at him. A wave of a hand sent him flying back. The bars shifted so that only he, Dustin, was inside as Three told him, "If you weren't instrumental in returning One to me I'd destroy you."

The young man turned to look at him, confusion evident on his face, before he turned back to Three, "Adam...you can't be evil."

"I am," Three told him, moved in till they were almost touching, "So are you and so is Aisha. Except she's One, you're Two and I'm Three?"

The young man shook his head, took a step back, "Two?"

"Yes," Three said holding out a hand.

"No, I'm Rocky. You're Adam and we're not evil. We're good guys. We're Power Rangers," the young man declared a look of determination taking over his face.

Dustin pushed against the bars. Two had a name. Here Two wasn't evil, but good. Here Two wasn't Two, but Rocky. Dustin shook his head. Three would try to change that. It'd had been the plan all along, exchange him for this worlds versions of One and Two. Well it wasn't going to happen, not on his watch. Dustin threw himself against the bars, "Dude! Leave him alone!"

"Ignore him," Three stated, "Focus on me."

Rocky stood frozen. He wanted to move, a part of him was screaming to fight back, but another part of him couldn't believe that Adam could be evil. A part of him was balking at the evil he could practically feel radiating off his best friend. No! This wasn't his best friend. This was just someone who looked like Adam, but was evil. This wasn't his Adam.

"Sit," Three told him as a chair appeared and he pushed Rocky into it.

Even if this wasn't his Adam, he was still on some level Adam. Rocky caught Three's hand, "How did it happen?"

"How were we turned evil?" Three attempted to clarify.

Rocky nodded searching the eyes that were running over him.

Three's cold eyes met his, "We won a competition. Zedd decided we'd make wonderful warriors. There was a snake and pathetic rangers attempting to stop the inevitable, but…"

"No," Rocky told him, "They saved us."

Three tilted his head, moved in with a sinister smile. Rocky flinched as Three cupped his face, "Where I'm from we killed the rangers that tried to save us."

"They were our friends," Rocky glared defiantly.

Three shrugged, "Where's Aisha?"

Rocky felt suddenly chilled at the thought of this version of Adam getting anywhere near Aisha. His eyes widened as he shook his head slowly.

"Where is she?" Three asked, voice frustrated.

"She's dead," Rocky lied.

Three laughed, "Pathetic. I searched for you. I chose this world because not only were both of you here, but both of you lined up with the proper colors."

"I'm blue here so…you're green, Aisha's yellow and I'm blue?"

Three nodded, "When Rita and Zedd made us their evil rangers they made each of us the color of the first ranger we'd killed."

Rocky shook his head. He hadn't killed Billy. Billy was his friend, had been his friend. Rocky glared defiantly as he pointed out, "There wasn't a green ranger when they tried to rescue us."

Three smirked, "Tommy was green before he was white. He'd been Rita's evil green ranger. It amused her to make another green one, especially since her first had died by my hands."

"Tommy's your friend!"

Three tilted his head at Rocky's outburst, "No, Tommy dead. So are Rita and Zedd. They gave the three of us power, made us into The Triad. Then when we were ready we killed them. We even destroyed Dark Specter and took over the universe."

"Dark who?" Rocky asked before he jibbed, "Sorry, haven't heard of him."

"Give it time, you will. Now where's Aisha?" Three asked again as he moved in till they were nose to nose.

"Dead," Rocky insisted, in an attempt to keep up his ruse. He couldn't risk putting his best friend, who no longer had the power to morph, in danger.

Three smirked, "Have your lie then."

Rocky scowled, as Three pulled out to vials he had hanging around his neck.

"I miss the two of you," Three told Rocky as he walked around behind him, trailing a hand over Rocky's shoulders. Rocky shuddered at the touch, but he couldn't move, couldn't run and how could he run when the yellow ranger was trapped?

Three stepped in front of Rocky again, "Perhaps a present."

Dustin began throwing himself against the bars again, yelling for Rocky to run.

Rocky winced, "I can't."

"No," Three smirked, "you can't."

Three separated the blue vial from its cord and held it up.

"What's that?" Rocky questioned.

"All I was able to save of you," Three told him as he opened the vial and held it out. A blue mist slowly made its way from the vial and surrounded Rocky.

Rocky tried again to stand, to run and found he couldn't.

"Remember who you are," Three told him, "Remember how we began."

Rocky attempted to ground out that he wasn't this Two, that he was Rocky, but then he found himself in a cave…no _the_ cave. Adam was screaming and he was too. Aisha was standing and breaking her chains, that snake curling around her neck.

No, this wasn't how it had happened! The Power Rangers had saved them.

Aisha's head turned, tilted and she glared. She tossed the snack at him. The snake curled around his arm, teeth digging in. Rocky didn't even have time to scream in pain, though he could hear Adam yelling. He could hear Mr. Anderson...he could feel the evil working its way through his veins.

He was evil, it was so very easy.

The blue and yellow power ranger ran in. While the blue grabbed the snake away from him, the yellow teleported Mr. Anderson amid protests. Adam was telling them to run. Aisha grabbed Adam as the blue fell, writhing on the ground as he struggled with the snake.

Rocky stood and broke the chains that had held him. He stalked over to where the blue was coughing, sputtering. He took the snake away from the blue, held it out for Aisha.

"Wh..at are…" the blue barely stuttered.

"No!" Adam screamed, "Sha don't! Please Aisha!"

Rocky pinned the blue, found that in the blue's weakened state this was simple or was it that the evil in coursing through him had made him strong? The blue was sputtering, struggling with the latches on his helmet.

Adam stopped screaming.

Rocky pulled the helmet away as the latches came undone. Some distant part of him told him that he knew the boy beneath him, but that didn't matter. This blue, Billy, was good and had to be destroyed. He closed his hands over Billy's throat. Billy's fingers clutched at his hands and he pressed tighter still. Billy…he..Rocky…no!

Rocky gasped, screaming as he came out of the memory. He slumped in the chair Three had set him in as Three closed the blue vial.

"Do you understand now?" Three asked, "Do you see how strong we are? How evil?"

"Billy," Rocky moaned, "I can…I killed him."

"The first ranger to fall," Three told him, "Pathetically easy, the other posed more of a challenge."

"He was weak," Rocky growled as tears started paths down his face. He could still feel his hands closing around Billy's throat, "He was trying to save us!"

"And you killed him for it," Three reminded.

Rocky shuddered, "I killed Billy."

Three pulled Rocky to his feet and over to the cage he had erected, he shoved Rocky inside.

"Now remember where One is. I wish to go home."

Rocky stumbled and fell as the bar closed around him. Dustin grabbed him.

"It's not real!" Dustin told him, "That wasn't you!"

"I killed Billy," Rocky repeated.

Dustin grabbed Rocky by his shoulders, let the visor of his mask fall away so Rocky could see his face, "That wasn't you. That was Two. It's not real. You're a Power Ranger. You need to morph."

"I killed Billy," Rocky moaned, unable to get the scene, the feeling of it out of his head.


End file.
